Many golf balls are made of multiple layers. Many of these golf balls are manufactured using an injection molding technique. While much of the interior surface of a typical golf ball mold is smooth, various surface discontinuities are created on the product within common molding techniques.
In many instances, golf balls are molded using an injection mold. When an injection mold is used, various features are common. First, there is typically an opening for an injection nozzle to be inserted into the mold cavity. Next, there are frequently one or more vent holes to vent air when the mold is being filled with resin or other material. Finally, there may be holes for pins that are inserted to stabilize an intermediate layer while it is surrounded with another material. Each of these openings in the mold creates a discontinuity in the mold surface. Each discontinuous area may create a discontinuity or burr on the molded ball.
Discontinuities and burrs on the ball are generally undesirable. The aerodynamic properties of the ball are typically important to a golfer. Any area of discontinuity may tend to alter the aerodynamic properties of the ball and create an unsatisfactory flight path. Accordingly, there have been systems and structures used to deburr the balls after molding.
In some prior systems, the molded ball, possibly along with other balls, has been placed into a bin and surrounded by abrasive articles, such as sandpaper, pumice, or the like. The bin is then agitated and the ball is removed. In such a system, there is an inability to precisely control the degree of abrasion on the ball, and the ball's surface may be inconsistently abraded, creating a different discontinuity.
In other prior systems, the ball may be placed within a grinder and rotated or agitated while an abrasive surface evenly abrades the entirety of the ball surface. Such a system also abrades the surface of the ball where no abrasion needs to be applied. Accordingly, while such a system may remove the burrs, it also tends to damage other areas of the ball's surface.
What is desirable is a structure and method that may be used to selectively abrade a ball's surface in areas where burrs exist, while avoiding areas that lack burrs. Such a system may tend to effectively remove burrs while also minimizing damage to other areas of the ball.